Michigan State junior forward Jaxon Kohler (0) celebrates a play during the Big Ten Conference Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on March 15, 2025. Michigan State lost to Wisconsin 77-74.
Michigan State men’s basketball entered Selection Sunday without uncertainty.
After winning 27 games, securing 13 Quad 1 victories per the NCAA’s NET rankings and capturing the outright Big Ten championship, the Spartans knew their name would be called.
The only question was their seeding and potential path through March.
MSU earned the No. 2 seed in the South Region and will open NCAA Tournament play Friday in Cleveland, marking the Spartans’ shortest first-round trip since 2018, when they opened in Detroit. Their first-round opponent is No. 15 seed Bryant, the America East champions. A win would set up a second-round matchup against either No. 7 Marquette or No. 10 New Mexico.
“I’m still big on this — the game will be won in the meeting room tonight,” MSU head coach Tom Izzo said after the selection show. “It’ll be won in the locker room tomorrow.”
Cleveland offers MSU a de facto home-court advantage, as Spartan fans traditionally travel well to Midwest tournament sites.
MSU’s No. 2 seed — its highest NCAA Tournament placement since earning a No. 2 in 2019 — marks a sharp return to the Spartans’ familiar postseason territory under Izzo. Since 1998, MSU has reached eight final fours and at least the Sweet 16 on fourteen occasions.
But since their Final Four run in 2019, the Spartans had been seeded no higher than No. 7 in the four tournaments, including last year’s No. 9 seed and Round of 32 exit at the hands of No. 1 North Carolina.
This year’s MSU group re-established the program as one of college basketball’s most formidable.
With their nail-biter semifinal loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament — a game that ended an eight-game winning streak against Quad 1 opponents — the Spartans enter the national spectacle that is March Madness with an understanding of how crucial the small details become when seasons hinge on a single possession.
MSU is back in a position where deep runs in March Madness are expected.
A look at MSU’s opening-round matchup with No. 15 Bryant
No. 15 Bryant (23-11, 14-2 America East) enters Cleveland with confidence after sweeping both the regular season and conference tournament titles. However, matching MSU’s physicality and depth will be a tall order.
After winning the conference title outright, Bryant won all three games in the America East Tournament by double figures, capped by a 79-59 win over Maine on Saturday. The Bulldogs are in a rhythm.
Under head coach Phil Martelli Jr., son of Michigan’s former assistant coach, Bryant averaged 82.4 points per game while allowing 73.9. The Spartans are now 25-1 during games in which they score 70 points after their 77-74 loss to Wisconsin on Saturday.
MSU will be tasked with defending Bryant’s combination of scoring and length — its top five scorers standing 6-foot-6 or taller. Guard Rafael Pinzon, a high-volume shooter at 16 attempts per game, averaged 18.5 points per game at a 38.5% clip from deep. Alongside Pinzon in the backcourt is 6-foot-6 guard Earl Timberlake, who averaged 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
Frontcourt reinforcements Barry Evans and Connor Withers, both 6-foot-8 forwards, also average double figures. The Bulldogs made just under eight threes per game this season. MSU will have to keep them from getting hot, as mid-major teams have a knack for on the biggest stage in college hoops.
“I know (Bryant’s) a good team,” senior guard Jaden Akins said. “They got four guys averaging double-figures, won their conference tournament. Good team, got to prepare for it.”
MSU and Bryant will square off on Friday, March 21 at Rocket Arena, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m.
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Outlook of MSU’s region: Potential matchups, teams to watch for
In 2023, MSU, as a No. 7 seed, upset No. 2 Marquette in the Round of 32. This time, they could meet again — only with the roles reversed.
If the Spartans handle business against Bryant and either Marquette or New Mexico two days after, they’ll likely face No. 3 Iowa State or No. 6 Ole Miss in Atlanta, with the chance of seeing No. 14 Lipscomb or the winner of the North Carolina vs. San Diego St. No. 11 seed play-in game. Iowa State finished fifth in the Big 12 and have lost four of its last seven games, while Ole Miss went just 10-8 in a stacked SEC.
For the Spartans, a path to the Elite Eight is there for the taking. However, Auburn, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, looms in the South Region.
Michigan, which beat Wisconsin Sunday to earn the Big Ten Tournament Championship, is the No. 5 seed in the South Region, setting up a potential rivalry showdown for a trip to the Final Four in San Antonio.
For now, MSU remains focused on step one — Bryant on Friday night.
